Broken Brix Fermentation Emporium Winery

Bar, Homebrew, Beer-to-go

225 W Main St
Saint Charles, Illinois, 60174-1811
United States

(630) 377-1338 | map
homebrewshopltd.com

Formerly known as Home Brew Shop

Tue – Thurs : 10am –6pm
Fri : 11am – 10pm
Sat : 10am – 10pm Sun : 12am – 4pm
Mon : Closed
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.09
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
12
pDev:
10.76%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Berg-the-Boiler:
Photo of Berg-the-Boiler
Rated by Berg-the-Boiler from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

Feb 28, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of TMoney2591
Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Stopped in just before they closed for a special occasion. Getting the homebrew shop bit out of the way now, as it was not why I came in: Though rather small, they looked to have, at the very least, the basics you would need for some small batch brews, though anything the least bit exotic would likely fall out of the inventory on display. Now, I came for the bar, as they have their own in-house ciders, meads, and wines, as well as a few rotating local crafts. It's not a major bar, just the essentials: medium-length kitchen-esque bar with some café seating near the door, local artwork on the walls (for sale, as well), and some take-home bottles and cans available in the cooler. I rocked a couple sample flights in my limited time available, and the meads were all pretty damn good, with the standout being the Trail Mix, which smelled and tasted exactly as the tin would have you believe. The house cider was also rather tasty, and the brewers were back there behind the bar, explaining the ins and outs of the various flavors, ingredients, and methods. Hell yeah, lovely people. A special-made Brother Chimp Belgian blonde and a collaboration of the 6 St Charles breweries (Broken Brix included) were the highlights of the beer selection. Overall, though I was not able to spend much time here, the staff and their products made an impression, and I can't wait for my next visit to the area to see what they've cooked up next.
Jul 02, 2023
Photo of finnian3
Reviewed by finnian3 from Illinois

5/5  rDev +22.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Let me start by saying rhat I am relatively new to home brewing, so take my opinion from that perspective.
The Home Brew shop is the best shop for someone looking to get into the hobby/obsession.
The staff are really helpful, patient, and knowledgeable.
The have a line of their own brew kits that are outstanding! I have made 6 or 8 of their kits and they are all hits.
I am moving into kegging, creating my own recipes and doing all grain, so as my experience grows I know rhe crew at Home Brew shop will be there to support me, so I support them.
Support your local brew shop.
Viva the Hone Brew Shop
Jan 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4.86 by Bdubja0

Mar 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.11 by DraftDaddy from Illinois

Mar 12, 2015
Photo of NewGlarusFan
Rated by NewGlarusFan from Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -9.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Very small, but they will have what you need. They sample out their own craft which is awesome!
Mar 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by joelambic from Illinois

Jun 18, 2014
Photo of cjacobsen
Reviewed by cjacobsen from Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -12%
This place is a nice, small shop right on the corner in St. Charles. The staff is very cool and helpful and the amount of stuff they have in there for the size of the place is pretty impressive.

They have a good amount of equipment as well as a variety of kits and ingredients.

My main beef with this place is the fact that they seem to have bogus hours. The first few times I tried to shoot down there on my lunch break or even when I was in the area, they weren't open. It wasn't even an hours thing, they were closed for certain Kind of turned into a hit-or-miss run.
Sep 16, 2010
Photo of Prostman81
Reviewed by Prostman81 from Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -5.9%
A nice little shop in downtown St. Charles. Selection is OK, but not as great as I'd want it to be or usually look for in a shop. I'm sure the smaller storefront size plays a large part of this. Also, because you're in St. Charles, you're going to be paying a few bucks more than somewhere else. What really made this place stand out for me was the quality of service and helpfulness of the staff working there. Very nice people and willing to take as much time as you need to answer questions.

They also have an email alert service that tells you when classes are being offered, or when specialty strains of yeast are being offered which is a nice touch.
Jul 30, 2009
Photo of SurgeonGeneral
Reviewed by SurgeonGeneral from Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
A nice little shop in downtown St. Charles. It has all the basics & some neat little gadgets, decent yeast selection, books, & some interesting spices/additives. A few of the positives that stand out are-
-Service. Everytime I go, it's the same guy there and he will talk about your brew all day if you want. They really try to help out the brewer there, in addition to making a sale.
-They usually have some homebrew to sample.
-Brewing classes are available every month or so.
-It seems as if they have a pretty quick turnaround on most common items.
A few negatives that weigh in-
-They don't seems to be completely up on the latest homebrewing items. I questioned about getting some Pilsener or Munich extract in, and they had never heard of it before. I get the feeling that he thought I didn't know what I was talking about, to be honest.
-The hop selection is a little lacking, but then again, where can you ever find a hop selection big enough?
-They are pricey compared to the big online merchants.

Overall, I support them when I get the chance and I enjoy dropping by for the odd tube or extra pound of DME, but the bulk of my purchases go through other retailers for the above reasons. But by all means, check it out.
Feb 24, 2007
Photo of MillRat
Reviewed by MillRat from Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -5.9%
A pleasant shop in an older buildiing in St. Chuck in a boutique-y downtown shopping district. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The store is a little crowded but not unnavigable. There is no dedicated parking, and street parking can get tight during prime shopping hours. Hop selection could be better. Good selection WLP yeasts. Beer and wine bottle custom labeling supplies available. Prices a little higher than online merchants, but great for that brewing emergency. Wide selection of spices and flavor extracts. Good selection of Brewers Best kits. Grain mills and 50 lb bags of base malts available.
Jun 29, 2006
Photo of zjungleist
Reviewed by zjungleist from Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
Located in downtown St. Charles. Not a huge homebrew shop, but, well organized and perfectly suitable. This place has a nice selection of equipment, grains, extracts, and brewing additives, as well as a decent stock of hops and yeast. Plenty of winemaking goods as well. Some items are availible in bulk which is also nice. Probalby one of the better selections I have seen at reasonable prices.

I found the staff helpful and knowlegable in terms of sales and homebrewing advice.

I have never had any quality issues, but I have yet to use a good deal of my last purchase there. Overall, a fine homebrew establishment.
Feb 11, 2006
Broken Brix Fermentation Emporium Winery in Saint Charles, IL
Place rating: 4.09 out of 5 with 12 ratings